Unreachable
by FallenAngel218
Summary: Something is seriously amiss with Tony, and Gibbs' determination to help him may drive a rift between the two. WARNING: minor character death.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: There is a minor character death involved in this story. I do not normally kill any characters in my fics, but I have no reservations about this character at all. Enjoy!**

"Why in the hell did you do that, Tony?" Tim yelled as they came out of the elevator in the squad room. Gibbs looked up from the file he was working on. McGee was covered with mud—again, and Tony had a smirk on his face.

"It was an accident, Probie. Get over yourself."

"Knock it off, you two!" Gibbs said. "McGee, go take a shower."

"Absolutely," he said, grabbing his bag and heading for the locker room.

Gibbs turned to Tony. He was expecting a smart comment from his SFA. Instead he found him sitting at his desk, diligently sifting through his notes.

"What did you and McGee find?" he finally asked.

"Lieutenant Harris' wife hasn't seen him in two months. She didn't even know he was on leave. His neighbors were just as clueless."

Gibbs approached Tony's desk as he put his head back down and started organizing his folders again.

"What happened to McGee?"

"He fell."

"Into where? A swamp?"

"We were walking back to the car and we got into a petty argument. I got angry and shoved him. He fell into someone's front yard, that was still flooded from yesterday's rain storm."

"Do I have to separate you two again?"

"No, Boss. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't."

'Right, Boss."

Gibbs went back to his desk. He watched Tony from the corner of his eye as he worked. He'd started going through his old case files, the ones he'd shirked the paperwork on. For Tony to be catching up on old case files was unusual, especially when they were in the middle of an open case.

"DiNozzo! Get down to Abby and see if she's got anything for us."

"On it, Boss." Tony got up and boarded the elevator. As he left, Tim returned from the locker room. He stopped short of his desk when he saw the look on Gibbs' face.

"Boss?"

"What, McGee?" Gibbs snapped.

"Everything all right?"

Gibbs was about to say he was fine, but he stopped himself. If anyone could get information about Tony, it was McGee.

"Did you notice anything wrong with Tony today?"

"Aside from him shoving me into the mud?"

"How'd that happen?"

"I called him out for not doing his part in questioning the neighbors. I did most of the work. He talked to the wife and that was it."

Gibbs wanted to yell at McGee for starting a fight, but he was becoming more worried about Tony as the minutes wore on.

"All right, McGee. Get back on those phone records and credit card statements. Find me something."

"On it, Boss."

Gibbs got up, deciding that it was time he talked to Ducky. He headed for the elevator. As he reached to press the button, the doors opened any Tony came out, grinning from ear to ear. "Abby matched the bullet from the Lieutenant to the murder weapon we found at the scene, Boss," he said, stepping from the elevator. "We've got him!" Tony handed him a file with pictures in it.

"Staff Sergeant Vincent Gifford," DiNozzo said proudly. "He served with Lieutenant Harris for three years."

Forgetting about his trip to Autopsy for the moment, Gibbs turned around. "McGee, get a hold of Gifford's commanding officer. I want to know everything about him."

"On it, Boss."

"Ziva, go talk to Harris' family again. I want to know if they knew Gifford."

"Yes, Gibbs."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, turning to Tony, who was still standing next to him in the middle of the squad room. "Good job."

"Thanks, Boss." Tony went to his desk and sat down quietly, grabbing the folders he'd been working on before. It almost seemed to Gibbs like Tony was trying to retreat from something.

_**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**_

Ziva and Tim had Gifford in custody by the end of the day. Gibbs let them go around nine that evening. Tony was the first one to leave, bolting out of the bullpen. Gibbs followed him into the elevator, to Tony's chagrin. As soon as the doors closed, Gibbs pulled the emergency stop. The elevator jerked to a stop.

"What's going on?" He asked Tony bluntly.

"Nothing," Tony said. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Don't lie to me."

"Not lying."

"You haven't been yourself today."

"I said I'm fine," Tony said again, a hint of irritation in his voice. The elevator opened at the parking garage and Gibbs followed him out.

"You don't sound it. What's going on, Tony?"

Tony stopped halfway across the parking lot.

"Can't you accept that I'm fine, Boss?"

"Nope."

Tony continued to his car and fumbled with the keys as he tried to unlock the door. Gibbs caught up to him, and gently placed his hand around Tony's wrist.

"Stop, Tony. Something is obviously bothering you. Please, let me help."

Tony dropped his head, not wanting to face Gibbs just yet.

"It's my Dad…" he started, but trailed off.

"What's he done now?" Gibbs said, annoyed.

"He's dead, Boss. Last week."

"What happened?" Gibbs asked.

"Apparently it was a heart attack. One of his business partners found my number in his cell and called me."

"Tony, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Boss. I'm not. I wanted him out of my life, and now he is, permanently." With that, Tony got into his car and drove off, leaving Gibbs alone in the parking garage.


	2. Chapter 2

**WARNING: This next chapter is very, _very_ OOC for Tony, in every way. We all know Tony would NEVER break the law, but considering what I laid down in the first chapter, we can cut him a little slack. If anyone has a problem with OOC Tony, do not read any further. Thank you.**

Gibbs stood alone in the parking garage for a couple of minutes before he went to his car. His gut told him that Tony was _not _going to be all right. He decided as he started the car that he'd call Tony as soon as he got home, just to check on him.

When he got into the house, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Tony's number. His gut twisted into a new knot every time the phone rang and Tony didn't pick up. When voice mail picked up, Gibbs left him a message to call him, and hung up. He was worried, but he knew giving Tony some space would be the best thing right now. Sighing, he made his way to the basement to finish up a project.

**NCISNCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs was startled awake by his cell phone, and dusted sawdust from his face as he realized he'd fallen asleep in the basement again. Whoever was calling him better have a damned good reason for waking him at 3 a.m.

"Gibbs."

_"Agent Gibbs? This is Sergeant Gomez. I've got a drunk sitting in the back of my squad car who says he's one of your agents. His license says his name's Anthony DiNozzo Jr." _

Gibbs straightened. What had Tony gotten himself into?

"What'd he do?"

_"There was a bar fight at TC Riley's. Not sure if your boy started it, but he definitely finished it. Two people are on their way to the hospital."_

Gibbs sighed in frustration. Tony was a lot smarter than that. He was going to rip him a new one when he got his hands on him.

"Are you going to book him?" Gibbs asked as he made his way upstairs.

_"I don't want to, sir. His blood alcohol levels are off the charts. I'd rather he sleep it off at home than in holding on a drunken disorderly."_

Gibbs understood the Sergeant's reasoning. A drunken disorderly could end Tony's career.

"Where are you? I'll come pick him up."

The Sergeant gave Gibbs the address, and he left in a hurry.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

The Sergeant was sitting in front of the bar when Gibbs arrived. He'd turned his lights off so he wouldn't attract additional attention from drivers passing by. Gibbs found Tony sitting dejectedly in the backseat of the police cruiser, his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Thanks for coming, Agent Gibbs," Gomez said, shaking hands with him. "He hasn't said anything since I called you. He's just been sitting there."

"Thank you Sergeant. Can I take him home now?"

"Absolutely." Sergeant Gomez hauled Tony out of the car and un-cuffed him. Tony looked down at his wrists as he rubbed them where the handcuffs were. "You got lucky tonight, Agent DiNozzo. If I have to arrest you again, there will be no call to your Boss. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You can take him home now, Agent Gibbs."

The Sergeant got into his car and left the scene. Gibbs turned on his SFA as soon as Gomez was gone.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing, DiNozzo?"

"Boss – I…"

"Just get in the damn car, DiNozzo." Tony walked dejectedly to the car and got into the passenger seat. Gibbs got in and set out. Tony was dismayed when Gibbs started driving the opposite direction from his apartment.

"My place is East, Boss," Tony pointed out.

"You're not going home, DiNozzo. You're sleeping at my place tonight."

"But—"

"Shut up. You're in enough trouble already. Don't make it worse."

Tony shut his mouth for the rest of the ride to Gibbs' place. It was nearly 4 a.m. when they got there. He got out and silently followed Gibbs inside, staggering a bit. He'd been sitting in that cop car for three hours, and he'd sobered up enough to at least walk and talk a little more coherently than before. He'd pleaded with the cop to let him go home, but there was no way Sgt. Gomez was letting him off. He'd thought he was screwed, until Gibbs finally showed up. When he saw the look of anger on Gibbs' face when he was yanked out of the police cruiser, he almost wished that Gomez took him down to holding instead.

He closed the front door behind him as he entered Gibbs' house. Gibbs was standing in the middle of the living room when he turned around.

"Start explaining," Gibbs said immediately.

"I'm sorry, Boss," was all Tony could get to come out of his mouth. Gibbs came over and head slapped him, hard.

"I don't want to hear apologies. I want an explanation!"

"I needed to unwind, so I went to have a few drinks. I—I got ahead of myself and forgot my limits. There were a couple of guys at the end of the bar, roughing up a woman. I tried to defend her and they jumped me."

"Is that why they're on their way to the hospital, and you don't have a scratch on you?"

"I didn't give them a chance to hit me. Boss, I'm s—"

"Apologizing is a sign of weakness, DiNozzo."

"Right. I was so angry, Boss. I don't know where all that came from. I just wanted to rough them up a little bit, not send them to the hospital."

"I can't believe you would do something so stupid. You're damn lucky that Sergeant felt bad for you. He could have thrown your ass in lockup, and you could have lost your job over this. Do you understand that, DiNozzo?"

"Yes, Boss." Tony dropped his head. Gibbs sighed and felt himself calm down a bit.

"This is about your father, isn't it?"

"A little."

"My ass. Sit," he ordered. Tony practically fell onto the couch as Gibbs went into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Gibbs came back a few minutes later with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Tony, who took it gratefully. The two men sat in companionable silence while they drank the coffee. When they were finished, Gibbs took the mugs and set them on the coffee table. He threw a blanket at Tony.

"Get some sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours."

Tony nodded and lay down on the couch. Within minutes he was out like a light. Sighing in frustration, Gibbs left him to sleep and made his way to the basement, pouring himself a second cup of coffee on the way down.

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs came back upstairs around 0730 to check on Tony, and did not find him on the couch. On a hunch, Gibbs went out to his front porch. He found Tony sitting on the top step, holding a cup of coffee.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," Tony replied shortly. "I'm used to hangovers."

Gibbs sat down next to him on the porch.

"Why did you wait so long to tell me about your Dad?" Gibbs asked. "I would have given you the time off, Tony."

"Don't need time off."

"He's still your father, Tony. You're allowed to mourn him."

"Like he mourned my mother? Oh yeah, he was so broken up over her death that he ran out and found himself another woman two days after she died. The man was a real prize."

"Doesn't mean you can't allow yourself to be upset."

"I'll never be able to forgive the things he did, Boss. He was no father to me. He never was, not even when my Mom was alive. Mourning his death isn't exactly on my list of priorities."

"What about the funeral?"

"I missed it."

"What?"

"Remember when I said that a business partner called me to tell me he died?"

"Yeah…"

"It was my Uncle that called. I never met the man. My Dad's brother. He lives in Denver. Apparently my Dad stopped by for a visit of some sort. The first night he was there, he had a heart attack in bed, and my Uncle found him the next morning. He and his family had a short service and had my Dad cremated. He didn't bother to call me until a week later."

"I'm sorry, Tony."

"Don't be. He's just as arrogant as my Dad. I couldn't wait to get off the phone with him. How could he just take over like that? He couldn't pick up a phone and call me sooner?"

Gibbs noticed that Tony's hands had started to shake, and before he could react, the coffee cup Tony was holding slipped from his hand and hit the step, bouncing off and smashing on the sidewalk. Tony jumped up.

"I'm sorry about that. I'll replace it."

"It's all right. It was a stupid mug anyway. One of my ex mother-in-laws bought it for me."

Tony cracked a smile. Gibbs was glad for it. He clapped his SFA on the back and stood up.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

"But the case—"

"Finished yesterday, remember? McGee and Ziva made the arrest."

"Oh yeah…"

"It's Saturday, Tony, and we're not on call. Take the weekend to rest up."

Tony stood up.

"Thanks, Boss."

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS**

When Tony finally arrived home, he was ready to crawl into his own bed and sleep all day. He was still feeling a little drunk. He fumbled with his keys as he tried to unlock his door, and dropped them. As he bent to pick them up, he noticed a letter stuck halfway underneath his door. He took it and stood again. It had no return address, but Tony recognized the writing right away. It was a letter from his father.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Notes: I want to thank everyone who's read and followed this fic, and for the kind reviews! I hope the rest of this fic is enjoyable! It isn't over quite yet for Tony…**_

_****~Monday Morning~_

Gibbs looked at his watch for what had to be the tenth time. It was 0800, and Tony was over an hour late. Tim and Ziva were working on cold cases, so he decided he'd go to Tony's place and check on him. He abruptly got up and left the squad room, McGee shouting after him.

As he drove across town to Tony's apartment, Gibbs tried to call him. His worry turned to panic when there was no answer. Tony _always _answered his phone. He was devoted to Gibbs' rules, which made him cross the line from panic to irrational fear as he came to a stop in front of Tony's apartment building. He practically ran inside and took the stairs two at a time. When he got to Tony's door, he wasted no time in pounding on it.

"DiNozzo! Open the door!" he shouted, banging the door with a fist. He stood there for about 30 seconds before he picked the lock and let himself in. The living room was a mess. There were beer bottles strewn all over the room. There were a few whiskey bottles on the coffee table. An empty glass sitting next to a half full bottle of scotch.

Gibbs carefully made his way around the apartment, looking for Tony. He found his SFA in the bedroom. Ton was sitting on the bed, his back to the door. Next to him on the bed was what looked to be a letter, unfolded. Gibbs slowly stepped into the bedroom, and noticed that Tony was playing with his SIG.

"You planning to use that gun, DiNozzo?"

Tony closed his eyes. It had crossed his mind the night before after he'd downed a twelve-pack and a bottle of whiskey. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"No," he almost whispered.

"Good, why don't you give me that SIG and we'll talk?"

Tony sighed and held it out to Gibbs, who took it from him and put it in the inside pocket of his coat.

"What's going on Tony? Why are you living in a liquor store?"

Tony handed Gibbs the letter that was sitting on the bed.

"My Dad sent me that, or had it sent. He was into some hardcore stuff, Boss. It looks like he conned the wrong person before he died. Nigerian arms dealer named Amin Nzmiro."

Gibbs read the letter carefully, scowling.

_Junior,_

_Enclosed with this note is a thumb drive. It's got important information on it. My last business transaction was not one of my smartest. I crossed a Nigerian arms dealer by the name Amin Nzmiro. He's out for blood, Junior. I bought that thumb drive from him for a cool two million. I know exactly what you are thinking, and you are right. I never intended to give him the two million. If you're reading this letter right now, your Uncle Jack sent it after my death. I wanted you to be in possession of that thumb drive. It's got U.S. Weapons secrets on it, and that bastard Nzmiro should not have his hands on it. In the case that it is lost, I've hidden a copy at your Uncle's house, in his nightstand. Don't screw this up, Junior. I'm counting on you._

_Senior_

"Where's the thumb drive?" Gibbs asked. Tony pointed to the night stand. He'd already bagged the thumb drive for evidence. Even in the face of a family tragedy, Tony was still first and foremost an investigator. Gibbs took out his phone and called McGee.

"McGee, I want you to get me everything you can find about an arms dealer named Amin Nzmiro. Tell Ziva to call every contact she can think of and find out what his plans are. I'm coming in with DiNozzo with a memory stick thingamabob for you and Abby to decrypt."

"_Wait-slow down Boss—looking for Amin Nzmiro, arms dealer. How'd you get a thumb drive so fast? What's going on, Boss?" _

"Just do it, McGee!" Gibbs hung up and turned to Tony, who had lay back on his bed. "Get up, DiNozzo. You're with me today."

"Can't I just lay here until my head explodes?" he complained.

"Take an aspirin and get dressed. You're not staying here alone while there's an arms dealer out there looking for you."

Tony groaned and got up. He moseyed into the bathroom and took some ibuprofen for his headache, and took a quick shower. He dressed and met Gibbs in the living room. He was slightly embarrassed at the condition in which he'd left it the previous day.

"I uh, sorry about the mess."

"Don't worry about it."

"Let's go, Tony."

As Tony followed his Boss to the door, his cell started to vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and checked caller ID. He recognized the caller as his Uncle. Panic flooded over him. Uncle Jack never called him.

"Uncle Jack, what's wrong?"

"_I need to talk with you, Junior."_

"Don't, call me that. It's Tony."

"_All right. Your father left something in my night table. I'm not sure what it is. It looks like one of those computer doo-hickeys." _

"Uncle Jack, listen to me very carefully. Find Aunt Lucy and leave the house right now. Do not pack a bag, or take anything with you. Get out and drive to the airport. I'm going to reserve you a flight as soon as we hang up, and you're going to come to DC. Bring the thing Dad gave you. It's important."

"_What's this all about, Tony? What's your father done now?" _

"Someone dangerous is looking for that thumb drive, Jack. It's not safe for you to have it." Tony didn't get a response back, and he paled. "Jack? Are you still there?" No response. He heard the phone change hands, and an unfamiliar male voice came over the line.

"_Jack is dead, and you are next, Junior." _The line disconnected sharply.

Tony sucked in a breath as he closed his phone slowly. Gibbs pulled over.

"What happened?"

"Nzmiro got to my Uncle Jack. He's dead, Boss, and he said that I'm next." Tony threw his phone at the windshield. It bounced off and slid down the dash onto the floor, cracking the screen.

"Take it easy, Tony. We'll find the bastard."

Tony took a deep breath as Gibbs whipped around a corner, nearly doing a 180 with the car.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Tony hooked a left and went for the restroom. Gibbs watched him go, and stayed back, rather than chase after him. He knew the kid needed a second to gather his thoughts. Tim was staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

"What _is _it, McGee?"

"What's wrong with Tony?" McGee asked, finally blinking.

"What did you find on Nzmiro?" Gibbs asked, deliberately avoiding the question from Tim.

"Born in Nigeria, left the country when he was 18 years old. He's wanted by Interpol in seven European countries. Boss, what's going on? Where did you get that thumb drive?"

_Damn it. _

"Tony got a letter from his Uncle. His father died a couple of weeks ago. The letter came with a thumb drive that Tony's father conned from Nzmiro. The bastard already killed Tony's Aunt and Uncle, and he's gunning for Tony. We need to find this bastard, and find him now!"

Tim and Ziva sat stone faced, listening to Gibbs. Both of them were thinking the same thing. Tony had been so stoic the past couple of weeks. No one had any idea that he was suffering so much.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony ran for the head as soon as he and Gibbs came out of the elevator. He locked himself in a stall and slid down the wall into a heap. He couldn't hold it in anymore. Alcohol had dulled the pain for a while, but it couldn't help forever. Shaking, Tony dropped his head into his arms and cried.

**TBC… ideas are welcome! Please let me know what you've got via review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Gibbs grew concerned when Tony did not return from the restroom right away. After he'd delegated the tasks to McGee and Ziva, he made his way over to the head. He head the broken sobs as soon as he opened the door, and he could see Tony sitting on the floor in the last stall. He went over to it and rapped on the closed door.

"Open the door, Tony," he said firmly.

"I want to be alone," Tony said, his voice slightly breaking.

"You're not going to sit in the head all day. Open this door. Now." After a few seconds, Gibbs saw Tony shift to a standing position in the stall, and the door opened. Tony looked like a mess. He'd untied his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. His eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked, gentler than his usual tone.

"I just need some time, Boss. I'll be fine." Tony glanced over at his Boss, and found that he was the recipient of a piercing glare. "Really, I'll be all right!" Tony buttoned his shirt and started to fix his tie. His hands were shaking so much, he could barely loop his tie. Gibbs reached out and put his hand on Tony's wrist.

"You're not fine, are you?"

Tony stood silently for a moment, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He never realized how much he looked like his father. He dropped his eyes and shook his head.

"Come on," Gibbs said, motioning toward the door. "I've got Ziva and McGee trying to track down Nzmiro."

At the very mention of Nzmiro, Tony's eyes suddenly went wide and he bolted for the door. He ran for the bullpen, Gibbs at his heels. Tim was running a few searches at once, trying to get the information Gibbs had requested. Tony grabbed the back of his chair and yanked him away from his computer. He quickly closed all of Tim's programs that he had running.

"Tony, what the hell are you doing!" Tim shouted as he got up and tried to shove Tony away from his computer. "You just deleted everything!"

"You're not investigating Nzmiro, McGee. No one is."

"DiNozzo!" Tim and Tony turned their heads as Gibbs came running into the squad room. He looked from Tim to Tony, and then down at Tim's computer.

"Boss, he aborted all of my searches!" Tim said.

Gibbs glared at Tony, who was still blocking Tim from his computer. Tony returned the glare defiantly. Tim grew tired of waiting for one of them to speak, and promptly shoved Tony out of the way so he could start his searches over again.

Gibbs motioned to the elevator. Tony nodded and followed him. Gibbs turned to Ziva and Tim before boarding.

"You two keep working on that intel. Tony and I are going for coffee." He jabbed the button for the elevator, and it opened almost as if Gibbs had commanded it to. He and Tony stepped onto the elevator. Tony noticed Tim glare at him as the doors closed. He leaned against the rail as Gibbs reached over and hit the emergency stop.

"What in the hell was that, DiNozzo?"

"I, uh,"

_Thwack!_

"Spit it out!" Gibbs demanded.

"People have already died because of me, Boss. I don't want Tim and Ziva to get themselves killed going after this guy."

_Thwack! _

Tony rubbed his head after the second head slap. Gibbs hadn't held back at all.

"Listen to me. No one is going to die, _especially _Ziva and McGee. They're both excellent agents. I won't let that bastard kill anyone else. You have my word, Tony. When we find him, we go on the bust as a team. No one will be alone."

"But—"

"I don't want to hear any more excuses! You do _not _investigate this on your own. Are we clear?"

Tony's eyes dropped to his shoes, which had apparently become very interesting at the moment. Gibbs reached up and head slapped him again.

"Are we _clear, _Tony?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Good. Go back up to the squad room and help McGee. I'm going for coffee. You do not leave this building alone, for any reason."

"But—"

"That wasn't a request, DiNozzo. Don't make me say it twice."

"Yes, Boss."

The elevator opened at the lobby, and Gibbs got out. He stood there until the doors closed. Helping Tony was giving him a headache, but the kid was worth it.

_**NCISNCISNCIS**_

__Tim didn't talk to Tony for the rest of the day. Shortly after Tony had returned to the squad room that morning, Tim had taken Senior's thumb drive and disappeared to Abby's lab to decrypt it. Ziva had put out a BOLO on Nzmiro, while Tony looked into his father's accounts and records, which, he was discovering, was easier said than done. After a screaming match with the bank, he was finally granted access to his father's bank accounts. As he'd suspected, Senior was broke. He sighed, taking down the passwords to the accounts and putting them in his desk drawer for safe keeping.

Tony's next task was to check Senior's credit card statements. It was something Tim usually did for him. Tony decided to try searching himself. He'd done it back in Baltimore when he had to. _How hard could it be? _He thought, bringing up the program McGee had installed for him for just such an occasion. As he started the search, Ziva jumped out of her chair.

"I have a hit on the BOLO. Nzmiro was seen at Dulles, about fifteen minutes ago." she reported to Gibbs.

"Okay, grab McGee and go check it out."

"Yes, Gibbs." Ziva grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator. Tony didn't look up, or question Gibbs' decision to keep him at his desk. He kept his eyes on his father's credit card statements. As he sifted through the Discover card statement, his face paled. Senior had racked up almost $50,000 in charges on his Discover alone. On a gut feeling, Tony accessed his Dad's account information. He suddenly started to feel very sick. He'd forgotten about co-signing on this credit card with his father. He'd obviously wrongly assumed his Dad would be a responsible person.

"How's it coming with your Dad's credit card statements?"

Tony looked up, surprised to see Gibbs standing in front of his desk. He lowered the credit card statement so his Boss wouldn't see it.

"Nothing of note on these cards. He flew out to Islamabad a few times, but that's not unusual for him."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and glared at his SFA for a moment. When Tony didn't elaborate further, he decided not to press the issue and nodded, returning to his desk. He'd just have McGee hack it later. Tony was obviously hiding something important.

_**NCISNCISNCIS**_

Tim and Ziva returned to the squad room with little results from Dulles Airport. Nzmiro had been seen leaving his gate. Security had followed him outside, where he'd gotten in a taxi. The guard had memorized the taxi company. Tim sat down to call them as soon as they'd returned. Before he could dial out, however, Gibbs appeared in front of his desk. He'd just sent Tony to Abby's lab to check on the USB.

"McGee, I need you to get a hold of Senior's credit card statements. All of them."

Tim put down the phone.

"What's up? You think it's pertinent to the investigation?" Gibbs glared at him. Tim gulped. "Of course, or you wouldn't have asked."

"Do it fast, McGee."

Tim turned to his computer and quickly brought up a special search program he'd written himself. He was able to get the statements in 30 seconds.

"Visa and American Express look normal enough, all payments made on time, no outstanding balances—" he stopped talking and just gaped at the screen.

"What is it?" Gibbs asked, leaning in to see.

"This card has been past due for six months. There's 50 grand in charges on here, Boss."

"Can you get in to see Senior's account information?"

"Y-yeah. Give me a second." Tim typed some more, and came up with the information requested. "He's been a cardholder since 2009—oh my God, Boss. _Tony _co-signed for this card. That means—"

"It means I owe Discover $50,000."

Gibbs and Tim looked up to see Tony standing right next to Gibbs. Tim didn't say anything. Gibbs turned to Tony.

"Why didn't you tell me about this when I asked you?"

"Because it's_ my _business! I made the mistake of co-signing for that thing, and I have to pay the price." Tony stormed to his desk and started to gather his things.

"Where are you going?" Gibbs asked, following him. "You're on lockdown, remember?"

"I'm done listening to you," Tony spat out at Gibbs. "You and McHacker over there have invaded my privacy. If I wanted you to know about the credit card statement, I would have told you. I'm leaving. Don't try to stop me." Tony picked up his bag and started for the elevator. Gibbs went after him in a fury. He reached him just before he pressed the call button, and grabbed Tony's arm.

"If you go out there alone, Nzmiro will find you, and he _will _kill you. No amount of training will save you from a terrorist who wants your head. If you don't want to die, you are safest in _this _building."

"I don't feel very safe here. I can't even trust you to stay out of my credit card statement!" He pressed the call button.

"You're not leaving," Gibbs said, glaring at him intently. "I won't let you get yourself killed!"

Tony's anger was boiling over. He ripped his arm from his Boss' grip and threw a punch to Gibb's face, knocking him to the ground. The elevator dinged and opened just then. Tony got in and hit the button to close the doors manually. His last visual of the squad room was McGee running to Gibbs' aid.

_**NCISNCISNCIS**_

Tim helped Gibbs to his feet.

"Are you all right, Boss?"

"I'm fine, McGee! Get back to work!" he shouted. Tim turned to go back to his desk, and nearly bumped into Director Vance. He'd been coming down the stairs to the squad room and had seen the altercation.

"I'm sorry, Director."

"It's all right, Agent McGee." Vance turned to Gibbs as Tim went to his desk, flushing. "Are you all right, Agent Gibbs?"

"I'm fine, Leon. I'm going to kill DiNozzo, but I'm fine."

"We'll deal with Agent DiNozzo later. Right now, I want you to fill me in on what the hell is going on around here today, Agent Gibbs."

"Can we talk about this upstairs?" Gibbs asked.

"Certainly." Leon led the way to his office. Whatever Gibbs had started, he knew it was going to be a long, complicated story.

_**NCISNCISNCIS**_

__Tony drove fast through metro DC… he didn't know where he was going to go. He couldn't go to his apartment. He was sure Nzmiro had men staking out the place. All he knew was that he couldn't go back to NCIS. After he'd calmed down and realized that he'd just punched Gibbs in the middle of the squad room, he knew there was no going back. Vance was going to fire him for sure. He got on the highway and took it as far away from DC as he could go. He had a buddy with some farmland outside of DC. No one knew about this friend, so he'd probably be safe hiding out there.

His phone rang on the seat next to him. He recognized the caller ID as McGee's cell. He let it go to voice mail. Seconds after, it rang again. This time it was Ziva calling. He picked up the phone and turned it off. He didn't want to hear from them right now. He just needed to get away.

**TBC… this chapter was longer than I expected. Thanks for your patience in waiting for updates! I hope this chapter was satisfactory! Please review and tell me if I need to improve it! I'll gladly make edits… **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Notes: I want to say thank you to all of my readers for your continued support of this fic. I've gotten more hits in a three week period for this story than in six months on my other popular fics. Thanks again, and please stay with me! I promise not to leave you hanging for too long!**_

"Let me get this straight, Agent Gibbs," Vance said, standing behind his desk, glaring angrily at Gibbs. "You and Agent McGee hacked into Agent DiNozzo's private credit card statement, and then you allowed him to leave this building with a dangerous arms dealer looking for him? Have you completely lost your mind, Jethro?"

"He's in a bad way right now, Leon. He hasn't been himself since he found out about his father's death."

"My condolences go out to Agent DiNozzo. That still doesn't give you the right to go snopping through his credit card statements, Agent Gibbs."

"I understand."

"Find him, Jethro, before Nzmiro does. If the SecNav finds out about this mess, it's going to be my ass on the chopping block."

"Understood."

"Good, you're dismissed."

Gibbs turned and left the office, closing the door behind him. Vance picked up the phone and dialed an extension.

"Agent McGee, my office, now." He hung up before McGee had a chance to respond, and sat down in his chair. Moments later, his door opened again, and Tim quietly came in. "Have a seat, Agent McGee."

"Yes, sir." Tim sat in the chair across from Vance.

"I want to talk with you briefly about hacking into people's credit card statements, Agent McGee. Are you aware that you could serve time in jail for doing what you did a few minutes ago?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Why did you do it?"

"I was following orders, Director."

"I understand your obligation to follow Gibbs' orders, as he is your immediate superior. But know this, Agent McGee. If I _ever_ hear about you hacking the private information of _anyone _in the building without it being directly related to an investigation, disciplinary action _will _be taken, up to and including termination. Is that understood?"

Tim gulped.

"Yes sir."

"Good. You're dismissed. Go help Agent Gibbs find your partner before he gets himself killed."

"Yes sir." Tim got up and left. Vance sat back in his chair and rubbed at his temples. Gibbs and his team were going to start giving him migraines one of these days.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony camouflaged his car in a dense, wooded area, and went the rest of the way to his friend's cabin on foot. He knew Frank wouldn't be there in November, so it'd be the perfect place to hole up. He'd brought his overnight bag with him from the trunk, with all of his necessities. He decided he'd sleep at the cabin, then call McGee in the morning to get an update.

As he approached the cabin, Tony was alarmed to hear voices ahead. He knew for a fact that Frank only came up here in the summer. He took his gun from the holster and crept slowly ahead, keeping himself as out of sight as possible. As the cabin came into view, he saw a back Toyota Camry parked in front of it, that didn't belong to his friend. He observed three African men come out of the cabin, holding automatic weapons.

_How did that bastard find me? _Tony asked himself as he slowly backed away. He had to get back to the car without those guys knowing he was there. His SIG was no match for an automatic weapon. As he moved backward, his foot snapped a twig, and a loud crack broke the silence. The men stopped talking, and Tony knew he'd been made. He turned and bolted back through the woods as fast as he could toward where he'd left his car. He could hear them running after him. He knew that if he did get caught, no one would know where he'd gone or that anything had happened to him. He had to call someone. He took his cell out of his coat pocket and turned it back on. He quickly dialed Tim's cell. He answered before the first ring was finished.

_"Tony! Where the hell are you!" _

"Listen to me, Probie. I'm running through the woods outside Manassas. Three of Nzmiro's men are chasing me, with automatic weapons. I'm on a friend's property… his name is Frank Harvey. Got all that?"

_"Yeah, I got it Tony. Hang tight, we're coming." _

Tony saw his car ahead of him, and ran faster. He fished for his keys with his free hand and jammed his finger into the keyless entry.

"I made it to my car. Are you tracking my cell right now?"

_"Yeah, Tony. I've got your GPS location." _

"Good," he said, slamming his driver door and hitting the _lock _button. He started the car and pealed backward onto the road. He threw the car into drive and headed back toward D.C. He could hear Tim's phone changing hands, and he knew what was going to come next.

_"DiNozzo! Where the hell are you!" _

"Tim is tracking my cell, Boss."

_"Can you make it back to the Navy yard?"_

"There are three guys following me with machine guns, Boss. Bringing them to the Navy yard is the _last _thing I want to do!"

_"Listen to me very carefully, DiNozzo. Get your ass to DC as fast as you can. After we hang up, I'm going to have McGee send you a text message. Follow his instructions exactly. Do you understand me?" _

Tony ducked his head as gunfire rained on his car, shattering his back window.

_"DiNozzo!" _

"I hear you, Boss! I'm a little busy being shot at right now!"

_"Do you still have the GPS fix on his cell, McGee?" _

_"Right here, Boss." _

_"Tony, we're coming to you. Keep your cell on so McGee can track you. Don't stop your car for anything." _

"Gotcha Boss!" Tony shouted as he pushed his foot down on the gas pedal as far as it could go. Nzmiro's men were still shooting. A fork in the road was coming up ahead. He thought he might be able to lose them there. As he neared the fork, a shot hit his back tire, and Tony lost control of his car. The car went off the road to the right and down an embankment. Tony was pushing down on his brakes as hard as possible, but it wasn't slowing him down enough. His last conscious image was of the large oak tree his car collided with, smashing the front end like an accordion.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

A black Toyota Camry came to a stop on the side of the road where Tony's car had gone over. Nzmiro's men got out.

"Kwaku, Kuhakikisha yeye ni wafu, na kupata disc!" shouted the tallest of the three.

"Hakuna moja bila kuishi ajali kama hiyo, Okorie," Kwaku replied.

"Mimi sijali! Kama hatuwezi kumaliza kazi kama Nzmiro kuamuru, sisi wote tutakuwa wafu!" Okorie shouted back. He looked at the other man. "Kwenda pamoja naye, Onochie."

Onochie and Kwaku went down the embankment on foot to Tony's car. They found him unconscious in the driver's seat. Onochie reached in and felt for a pulse. Not feeling one, he turned to his comrade.

"Amekufa."

"Bora, hebu kupata disc na kupata nje ya hapa." Kwaku replied. The two ransacked Tony's car, looking for anything resembling a flash drive, but came up empty. They returned to the road and reported to Okorie.

"Yeye ni wafu, bali sisi kupatikana hakuna disc."

"Nzmiro ni kwenda kutuua kwa uhakika. Hebu kwenda."

The men got into the car and sped away, leaving Tony alone and unconscious on the bottom of the embankment.

_**Notes: Before anyone freaks out, I have not killed Tony. And no, I did not make up the African names. I found them online. They are actual names. **_

_**Swahili Translations (thanks to an online translator):**_

"_**Kwaku, Kuhakikisha yeye ni wafu, na kupata disc!"**__ - "Make sure he is dead, and get the disc!"_

"_**Hakuna moja bila kuishi ajali kama hiyo, Okorie" **__- "No one would survive a crash like that, Okorie."_

"_**Mimi sijali! Kama hatuwezi kumaliza kazi kama Nzmiro kuamuru, sisi wote tutakuwa wafu!" **__- "I don't care. If we do not finish the job as Nzmiro ordered, we will all be dead!"_

"_**Kwenda pamoja naye, Onochie." – **__"Go with him, Onochie."_

"_**Amekufa." **__– "He is dead."_

"_**Bora, hebu kupata disc na kupata nje ya hapa." **__- "Excellent, let's find the disc and get out of here."_

"_**Yeye ni wafu, bali sisi kupatikana hakuna disc." **__- "He is dead, but we found no disc."_

"_**Nzmiro ni kwenda kutuua kwa uhakika. Hebu kwenda." **__- "Nzmiro is going to kill us for sure. Let's go."_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Notes: I promise there won't be as much Swahili in this chapter. I was trying to be authentic, so apologies if I threw anyone off! All translations will be included at the end of the chapter.**_

__Gibbs drove as fast as he could on the beltway without causing an accident. Tim was next to him, watching the signal on Tony's phone. All of a sudden he saw the black dot representing Tony move off the track it was on, and then it stopped.

"Tony is stationary, Boss. You don't think—"

"Don't finish that sentence, McGee!"

"Right."

"How long till we get there?"

"GPS says we have a half hour, Boss."

"Good." Gibbs pushed his foot down on the gas pedal, and Tim held on for dear life.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

The sedan was moving down a dirt road a half hour later, as Tim had predicted. Gibbs had slowed his speed a bit, so they could look for Tony's car. The dot hadn't moved in the past half hour, and Tim was getting concerned.

"Stop!" Tim shouted suddenly. Gibbs slammed on his brakes.

"What is it, McGee!"

"He should be right here," Tim said, pointing at his GPS.

"Well, where is he then, McGee? Is that thing working?"

"I checked it this morning, Boss. It's working correctly."

Gibbs and Tim exchanged a glance, and Tim looked over at the embankment.

"You don't think he—" Tim started. Gibbs was out of the car before he could finish his thought. He scrambled out of the car and followed his Boss, leaving the GPS locator behind. Gibbs ran to the edge of the embankment, and saw Tony's car at the bottom, smashed against a tree. McGee was at his heels as they practically ran down the hill to Tony. Gibbs reached through the broken driver's side window and felt for a pulse. It was very weak, but it was there.

"McGee, we're going to need Mercy Flight to get him out of here. Bring the gear down from the car after you call 911. Call Ziva too, and tell her to call in every favor she ever needed to. We need to find this bastard!"

"On it, Boss." Tim took off up the embankment.

"And call someone to pull Tony's car out of here!"

"On it, Boss!" Tim yelled from the top of the hill.

Gibbs turned to look at Tony. He was covered in blood. His car was ransacked. _Nzmiro's men must have been looking for the flash drive, _Gibbs thought.

"You're not allowed to die, DiNozzo," Gibbs said to his unconscious agent. "I won't let you." Just then Gibbs heard a shout, followed by other noises. He looked up to see Tim tumbling down the embankment, gear in his flailing hands. He landed at the bottom with a thud. Thankfully, he was still conscious. "Are you all right, McGee?" Gibbs said as he went over and took his gear.

"I'm fine Boss. I tripped on a root."

"Bag and tag what you can, McGee."

"Yes, Boss. Chopper will be here soon."

"Good." Gibbs took his camera out of his bag and started to document the scene. He had to get photographs with Tony in the car, before the ambulance arrived. He took as many pictures as he could, but his hands were shaking so much, he was making all the pictures blurry. "McGee!"

"Yeah, Boss!"

"Could you take the photographs?"

"Sure Boss." Tim came over took the camera. "Are you all right?"

"I'm not sure. Just take the photos and I'll finish the bag and tag."

"Yes, Boss."

The chopper arrived a few minutes later. The EMTs carefully extracted Tony from the vehicle, and strapped him to the gurney.

"Can you take him to Bethesda!" Gibbs yelled to the EMT over the chopper's noise.

"You got it, Agent Gibbs!"

Tony was lifted into the helicopter and on his way to Bethesda. Gibbs and Tim finished documenting the scene. They loaded the evidence into a tote Gibbs kept in the trunk. He instructed McGee to stay behind with the car until the crew came to pull it out, and ride back to NCIS with them. Tim agreed, and Gibbs left with the evidence.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

"Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs!" Abby shouted as Gibbs entered the lab. She hugged him tightly. "How's Tony? Is he going to be all right? What happened!"

"Abby! Could you let me go?"

She took a step back from him.

"Is Tony all right?"

"They took him to Bethesda by Mercy Flight. He's in critical condition. Ducky is down there with him. He will call me when he has an update."

"Okay," Abby said, trying not to cry.

"Do you have anything for me from the evidence I brought back from Tony's car?" Gibbs asked her.

"Loads of fingerprints!" She said excitedly. "These guys weren't very careful about covering their tracks." She pulled up three pictures on the screen. "This is Okorie Nakuma. Born in Kenya, and like his friends, is wanted by Interpol. The guy with the dreadlocks is Kwaku Amofah, from Nigeria, and the guy with the nasty scar on his cheek is Onochie Ubaka, also from Nigeria. All of our boys are wanted by Interpol for a handful of crimes. Murder is among them, along with illegally transporting firearms into several European countries."

Gibbs kissed her on the cheek.

"That's a good job, Abs. Keep working. We'll find these guys."

"Call me when Tony wakes up!" she shouted as Gibbs left the lab. She reached for Bert and gave him a squeeze. She hoped Tony would be all right.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs was forced to stay in the waiting room outside of Trauma when he got there. He wasn't happy about it.

"I want to know what's going on with my Agent!" Gibb shouted at the Head Nurse.

"I can't let you see him until they're finished with him in surgery, Agent Gibbs! Please, sit down!"

Ducky had just come back from the restroom, and saw the commotion. He went to his friend's side.

"Jethro, you must calm down! Come and sit with me." Gibbs didn't move. "Come on, Jethro!" Ducky practically pulled his arm to get him moving. Gibbs finally moved, and sat with Ducky in a couple of chairs on the far end of the room.

"Have you heard anything, Duck?" Gibbs asked, sounding hopeful.

"He sustained internal injuries, and his right leg is broken in two places. He's lucky the airbag deployed, or he'd have crushed his skull."

Gibbs sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. Ducky could tell that Gibbs was bothered more than he usually was about his team being injured.

"Do you feel guilty, Jethro?"

Gibbs didn't say anything, but he wouldn't make eye contact with Ducky.

"I thought that was it. Is it because of what happened in the squad room earlier this afternoon?" Again, Gibbs did not answer him, and wouldn't look at him. Ducky decided he needed a more direct approach. He raised a hand and slapped Gibbs on the back of the head. Gibbs' eyes snapped open, and he turned to Ducky.

"Did you just – "

"Yes, Jethro, I did. You needed to be brought back to your senses. You couldn't have known this would happen after he left, Jethro."

"I shouldn't have let him leave in the first place!" Gibbs practically shouted, causing everyone in the waiting room to look at them.

"Jethro, you couldn't force him to stay. Anthony is a grown man. What happened between the two of you was unfortunate, but you are _not _the reason he's in that Trauma room right now."

"Nzmiro is the reason he's in there Ducky. If his father hadn't crossed paths with the bastard, none of this would be happening!"

"It's most unfortunate, Jethro, but we can't change the past, can we?"

"No, but I can change the present," he said, standing up. "Keep me informed on his progress, Duck!"

"Where are you going, Jethro!"

"To find that bastard Nzmiro!"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Notes: I would like to thank all of my loyal followers… without you guys, I would not have had the confidence to continue with this story. Thanks so much! There will be some more Swahili in this chapter, so look for the translations in the end notes.**_

Gibbs met Tim and Ziva in interrogation. Ziva had called to tell him they'd picked up Onochie Ubaka, and were holding him in interrogation. Ziva was in the room with him when Gibbs arrived, trying unsuccessfully to interrogate Onochie in Swahili.

"Any leads on the rest of them, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"We're still looking for the other men that ran Tony off the road, but they're hiding themselves better than this guy did."

Gibbs noticed a red stain on Tim's sleeve.

"Did he injure you?"

Tim looked down at his arm. He'd forgotten about that.

"I'm fine."

"Go see Palmer and get that bandaged up before you bleed all over the place."

Tim opened his mouth to respond, but quickly shut it, realizing he'd get nowhere in this argument. He left interrogation to go and see Jimmy. Gibbs turned on the audio so he could hear Ziva.

"Kama nawaambieni ambapo Nzmiro ni, mimi kupata mpango?" Onochie asked.

"Tuna wewe kwa jaribio la mauaji ya wakala wa Shirikisho. Hakimu hakuna kufanya mpango na wewe sasa," Ziva replied. Her Swahili was a bit shaky. She smiled when Onochie's grin turned into a look of horror. He didn't seem to have any idea that Tony was still alive.

"Ngoja - alikuwa amekufa! Mimi kujua!" He shouted, jumping out of his seat.

"Kukaa chini!" Ziva shouted, rounding the table to get into his face. He stood there, glaring at her almost as if he were undressing her with his eyes. "Kukaa, au mimi kukulazimisha kukaa, na wewe si kama ni."

"Ni kuwa tishio?" He said, smiling evilly. "Nami nitazitoa uso wako mbali, mwanamke!" He pounced, going for Ziva's throat. She fought him off and pinned him to the table. The door flung open, and Gibbs rushed in.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I am fine. He is lucky you came in." She said with a small smile.

"Did he talk?"

"No. He wanted a deal. He also did not know Tony was alive. They left him for dead." She bit her lip to suppress the urge to cry. "How is Tony?" she asked.

"Ducky says he's got internal injuries, and his leg is broken in two places. He was still in surgery when I left. Ducky will be briefing me. Don't worry." She nodded. "Take him down to lockup."

"Yes, Gibbs." She cuffed Onochie and yanked him up, practically dragging him out of the room. Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be harder than he thought.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony came out of surgery after five hours. Ducky was allowed to sit with him when they got him settled in a room in Intensive Care. When the doctors left him, Ducky took out his cell phone. He had to call Jethro to update him.

_"Yeah, Gibbs." _

"Jethro, Tony is out of surgery. They've got him in Intensive Care at the moment."

_"How is he, Duck?"_

"They managed to stop the internal bleeding. They had to remove his appendix as well. He must have been suffering from appendicitis without telling you. It nearly burst from the seatbelt pushing into his abdomen."

_"Good. You'll call me when he wakes up?"_

"Of course. Go and catch the bastard that did this, Jethro."

_"On it, Duck." _

Ducky hung up and sat back with the book he'd brought with him. It would be a while before Tony awakened.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tim sat staring at his computer screen. Jimmy stitched up his arm and sent him on his way. He was supposed to be tracking Nzmiro, but all he could think about was Tony.

"McGee!" Gibbs shouted as he came into the squad room. "What have you got for me?"

"Nothing yet, Boss," Tim said, coming out of his trance. "He's hard to track."

"Find him!" Gibbs yelled.

"Working on it, Boss." Tim returned to his trance almost immediately. Gibbs noticed this, and turned back to Tim.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Tim began to type as if he hadn't just zoned out in front of Gibbs.

"You're not fine. What's wrong?"

"The last time I saw Tony, I was mad at him. I don't want him to die thinking I hate him."

"He's not going to die, McGee. He doesn't have permission."

"He still might! We had to mercy flight him out of that ravine!"

"McGee! Calm down. Ducky called me. Tony is out of surgery. He's going to be fine."

Tim felt himself relax a little. Tony was going to be fine! He turned back to his computer and typed furiously. He was going to track down Nzmiro if it was the last thing he did.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Ducky was on chapter three of _Robinson Crusoe _when he noticed Tony stir. He set down his book and got up as Tony's eyes snapped open. He looked terrified.

"No!" he shouted, trying to sit up. Ducky lowered him back onto the bed.

"Anthony, it's all right. You're in the hospital in Bethesda," Ducky said gently. Tony stared at Ducky for a second, looking unsure.

"Ducky?" he said hoarsely. "What happened?"

Ducky handed him a cup of ice chips, and Tony took them gratefully.

"You were in a car accident, Tony. Do you remember?"

A few flashes came back to Tony. He saw himself driving, and then going off the road, and flying down toward the tree.

"M'car?" Tony asked.

"Abigail has your car back at NCIS. I'm afraid it's totaled, Tony. I'm sorry."

"Awesome. That Mustang was one of a kind."

"I agree. It was most unfortunate." Ducky moved away from the bedside. "I'm going to go and get your doctor. He's going to want to know you're awake. Jethro will want to know that you've come back to us as well. He's been worried."

"He has?"

"Well why would he not be?" Ducky asked, hesitating at the door.

"After what I did, I'm surprised he doesn't want to fire me." Tony looked down at his hands. "I've gotten into fights with co-workers, partners when I was on the force, but I've never hit a superior officer before. I don't know what came over me, Ducky."

Ducky abandoned the idea of getting the doctor just yet, and sat down in his chair by Tony's bed.

"How long have you worked with Jethro?"

"Almost nine years."

"After all you have been through working with him, do you think such a trifle as a black eye will stop him from worrying for you?"

"He's got to be pissed at me, though…"

"I'm sure he's upset about that, to some degree. But he was also the one to find you after the accident, and he hasn't stopped looking for the bastard responsible for your being in that bed. If you think that Jethro hates you because you gave him a black eye, you are sadly mistaken."

Ducky got up and left the room to get the Doctor, and to call Gibbs. It was time that everyone sorted out this mess.

**Swahili Translations: **

"**Kama nawaambieni ambapo Nzmiro ni, mimi kupata mpango?" **= "If I tell you where Nzmiro is, will I get a deal?"

"**Tuna wewe kwa jaribio la mauaji ya wakala wa Shirikisho. Hakimu hakuna kufanya mpango na wewe sasa," **= "We've got you on attempted murder of a federal agent. No judge will make a deal with you now."

"**Ngoja - alikuwa amekufa! Mimi kujua!" **= "Wait - he was dead! I know it!"

"**Kukaa chini!" **= "Sit down!"

"**Kukaa, au mimi kukulazimisha kukaa, na wewe si kama ni." **= "Sit, or I will force you to sit, and you will not like it."

"**Ni kuwa tishio?" **= "Is that a threat?"

"**Nami nitazitoa uso wako mbali, mwanamke!" **= "I will tear your face off, woman!"


	8. Chapter 8

_**Notes: Apologies for not updating this for a while. I've had some personal issues that have discouraged me from writing, but I've got a plan for this story! There will be just a little bit of Swahili in this chapter, so I do apologize to anyone who is irritated by the language barrier. As usual, translations will be at the end of the chapter.**_

_****__~One week later~_

Abby stood in the evidence garage, staring at the remains of Tony's car. The vintage Mustang was Tony's pride and joy. It would be a shame to junk it. As she surveyed the damage, the elevator dinged behind her, and Gibbs stepped off.

"Hi Gibbs!" she said, trying to be cheerful.

"Is there any other evidence you can get from Tony's car?" He asked.

"I've got everything I can possibly get from it." She paused a moment, running her hand over the mustang's fractured fender. "It's such a shame to dump a car like this, Gibbs. I wish we could save it."

Gibbs surveyed the damage to the Mustang.

"I have an idea."

"Ooh, what is it?" she asked excitedly. Gibbs only smiled and turned away from her, walking toward the elevator. He had a few calls to make.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony was getting antsy in the hospital. It had been a week and a half since his accident. Ziva and Ducky had been the only ones to come and visit him. He'd been sour to both of them. Ziva informed him that his room was being guarded, at Vance's insistence, to keep Nzmiro and his men away from Tony. He was glad Vance had taken the liberty of providing him with bodyguards, but at the same time, he wanted to be working the case.

"This really sucks," Tony said aloud to no one in particular.

"It's going to suck worse, you know."

Tony looked up when he heard the familiar voice. Tim was standing in the doorway.

"Thanks for the pep talk, Probie," he said bitterly.

"I've been there, Tony. Having a broken leg is not fun." Tim moved into the room. Tony gazed out the window, in an effort to avoid eye contact with his friend. "I know you're pissed at me, Tony."

Tony didn't say anything. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to Tim. Everything was so jacked up, that he didn't know which way to turn for help. His life had spiraled out of control.

"What happens next?" Tony asked quietly.

"I'm not sure," Tim confessed, dropping into a chair next to Tony's bed. "This Nzmiro guy doesn't want to be found. We got one of the guys that shot at you, but all he did was piss off Ziva. I think Gibbs is going to try talking to him next."

"That's better than what we had before I left."

"Monumentally."

There was a companionable silence for the next few minutes. Tim sat, fiddling with his newest cell phone application, content to let Tony stare out the window.

"How could Senior do this to me?" Tony said suddenly. "How could he leave his only son a link to a group of International terrorists? And on top of that, leave me with all of his credit card debt?"

Tony finally turned to face Tim. There were tears streaming down his face, the first real tears Tim had seen him cry since this started.

"I'm gonna lose everything because of that bastard. What am I gonna do?"

"The first thing we do," Tim said, standing up. "Is find Nzmiro and put him away, for good. You're not alone, Tony. We've got your back."

Tony smiled a little.

"Thanks, Probie. I'm sorry for being an ass. I wasn't making your job any easier."

"It's forgotten." Tim's phone rang at that instant. "McGee – right, Boss – on my way." He slipped it back into his pocket. "Gibbs needs me and my mad skills," Tim said with a grin. "I gotta go. Hurry up and get better, will ya?"

"I'll try. Thanks for coming, Tim. It meant a lot to me."

"Anytime." Tim slipped out of the room.

Tony reclined his bed so he could lie down easier. He just wanted to erase all of this from existence, and go back to his life as normal, but he knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

**NCISNCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs paced impatiently in front of Tim's desk. He'd called him twenty minutes ago. Why wasn't he here yet? The elevator sounded, and he looked up to see Tim step off.

"Where have you been!" Gibbs shouted, meeting Tim in the middle of the squad room.

"I went to see Tony. It's a long drive from Bethesda, Boss."

"All right. I need you back on the flash drive with Abby. I want results in 24 hours."

"Boss, there are seven levels of encryption on that thing!"

"Then decrypt it! I want answers!"

Gibbs stalked off, leaving Tim standing alone.

"Now, McGee!"

Tim dropped his bag by his desk and headed off immediately to see Abby. He only hoped he could pull it off. With the levels of encryption on it, getting into something like that would usually take him a couple of days, maybe a week if the person that encrypted it was really good.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Silence filled the interrogation room. Gibbs sat stone faced, staring at Onochie. He was going to make this guy talk. He _had _to.

"Huu ni ujinga! Huwezi kushikilia yangu hii kwa muda mrefu!" Onochie shouted in Swahili. Gibbs looked at Ziva, who had been leaning against the wall.

"He is impatient, Gibbs. He wants us to release him."

"The only place you're going is to Gitmo, if you don't tell me what I want to know!" Gibbs shouted in a rage, jumping up and slamming his fist into the table. The sound echoed throughout the room. Onochie grimaced, slightly. It was enough for Gibbs to notice. Ziva stepped forward and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Unapoenda Gitmo, wewe ni kamwe kusikia kutoka tena. Wewe kuteseka katika njia mbali mbaya zaidi kuliko kifanyike ili wewe na Nzmiro."

Onochie's eyes went wide. He looked from Ziva to Gibbs. He nodded nervously.

"Mimi nitakuambia nini unahitaji kujua. Je, mimi kurehemewa?"

"Tutaona nini tunaweza kufanya." Ziva replied. She looked at Gibbs. He got up and let her sit down. Onochie spoke rapidly in Swahili. Not having used this language in a while, Ziva struggled to keep up with him, but she understood exactly what he was saying. When Onochie was finished, Ziva nodded to Gibbs. Both of them left Onochie alone in the interrogation room, and stepped out into the hallway.

"He says that Nzmiro is operating at an abandoned farm. Here is the address." She handed Gibbs a piece of folded paper. "Go and get him."

**Swahili Translations:**

"_**Huu ni ujinga! Huwezi kushikilia yangu hii kwa muda mrefu!" **__- This is ridiculous! You cannot hold me this long!_

"_**Unapoenda Gitmo, wewe ni kamwe kusikia kutoka tena. Wewe kuteseka katika njia mbali mbaya zaidi kuliko kifanyike ili wewe na Nzmiro."**__ - When you go to Gitmo, you are never heard from again. You will suffer in far worse ways than can be done to you by Nzmiro._

"_**Mimi nitakuambia nini unahitaji kujua. Je, mimi kurehemewa?" **__- I will tell you what you need to know. Will I be shown mercy?_

"_**Tutaona nini tunaweza kufanya." **__– We will see what we can do_


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes: A quick note about my use of Swahili. I first and foremost would like to thank a guest reviewer for bringing to my attention that Swahili is not widely spoken in Nigeria. I apologize for the mistake, and I do not wish to offend anyone. However, Swahili is, in my opinion, the easiest of African languages to find on an online translator, so, for the purposes of this story I'll be sticking it out with the Swahili. I hope that no one minds! I'll try to be more accurate with my languages going forward in future stories.**

****Gibbs brought the car to a stop in front of an old, crumbling farmhouse. A large barn sat across from the house, and there was grass between the two. It was probably a nice property, in its prime. Jumping from the car, Gibbs drew his weapon slowly and held it at the ready. Ziva and Tim followed suit. Agent McAvoy, who was on loan as backup from Agent Lovitz' team, stood behind Gibbs, weapon at the ready. There were no lights on in the house. Gibbs nodded toward the barn. It had to be their base of operations.

"Ziva, McAvoy," he practically whispered. "Around back. McGee, with me." Ziva nodded and headed around the back of the barn, while Gibbs and Tim positioned themselves at the large doors. Gibbs counted back from three on his fingers, and then motioned to Tim. Each of them grabbed a heavy door and pulled it back.

"NCIS! Drop your weapons!" Gibbs shouted, training his gun on one of the two men in the barn, huddled around a card table set up in the middle. While one of the men raised his hands in defeat, the other stood defiantly, brandishing a weapon of his own, and pointing it at Tim.

"Drop it," Tim said, keeping his SIG trained on the criminal ready to shoot him.

"You first," the man said, in a very thick African accent.

"Not gonna happen."

"You might change your mind, Agent McGee," came a deep, thick African voice from the back of the barn. From the shadows came Nzmiro, holding a gun to the head of Agent McAvoy. "Drop your guns, or I will shoot him in the head."

Tim glanced over at Gibbs, waiting for a signal of some sort. When Gibbs nodded ruefully, Tim knew that was the cue. He carefully set down his gun on the ground by his feet. Gibbs dropped his in frustration.

Before anyone could move an inch, a shot rang through the air. The only person that fell was one of Nzmiro's men, Okorie. Ziva was hiding somewhere in the barn, with the sniper rifle Gibbs had given her.

"Who is there!" Nzmiro shouted. "Come out or I will shoot him through the skull!"

Another shot rang out. The target was Nzmiro, and Ziva did not miss. Agent McAvoy scrambled away as Nzmiro fell to the floor, dead. Tim moved in and threw the cuffs on the third man, who had taken to yelling and swearing in Swahili while Tim arrested him.

"Are you all right, McAvoy?" Gibbs asked as the agent pulled himself to his feet.

"I'm all right. Remind me to thank Ziva for being a good shot," he half-joked. Gibbs clapped him on the back and took his phone from his pocket. It was time to call Ducky and clean up this mess.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Ducky and Jimmy arrived at the scene a half-hour after Gibbs made the call. Agent McAvoy was bagging and tagging what he could, while McGee took photos, and Ziva did a perimeter check. Lovitz had shown up at Gibbs' request, to take their prisoner to lockup.

"Gracious, Jethro. What on earth happened here?" Ducky exclaimed when he saw the two dead prisoners. Ducky set down his bag and kneeled in front of Nzmiro. He immediately saw the bullet hole in Nzmiro's head, and had no doubts that either Jethro or Ziva had gotten the shot off at him. "Let's get him on the gurney, Mr. Palmer."

"Yes, Doctor." Jimmy hurried off to the ME van to get the gurney, leaving Ducky and Jethro alone to chat.

"Have you been up to see Tony yet, Jethro?" Ducky questioned.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I've been too busy trying to find _him,_" Jethro said, pointing at Nzmiro's body.

"I think it's time you go and see him. He'll be released soon."

Jethro nodded as Jimmy came back with the gurney. He helped Jimmy and Ducky lift Nzmiro onto the gurney, and left the barn with them. Ziva was walking across the yard when he emerged from the barn.

"I did not find anything of note inside the house, Gibbs. It looks like this was their base of operations."

"All right. You, McGee and McAvoy finish up here and get everything back to NCIS. Lovitz left us the van."

"Where will we be able to reach you?" Ziva asked.

"I'll be up at the hospital, with Tony," he replied as he walked to his car.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony was awake when Gibbs came into his room. His bed was propped so he was in a sitting position, and he was engaged in a movie on television. He quickly shut it off when he saw Gibbs come in.

"How are you feeling, Tony?" Gibbs asked, pulling up a chair.

"Better. I may get to go home in a couple of days, once they get me a smaller cast for my leg." Tony saw a pained look on Gibbs' face, and started to get concerned. "What's the matter?"

"Nzmiro is dead. Ziva shot him."

"That's awesome! So I can go back to my place when I get out of here?"

"Depends. Is there an elevator there?"

"Crap. Then who-"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, and realization washed over Tony.

"I can't impose, Boss. You've done enough for me already."

"You're not imposing, DiNozzo. You know that."

Tony got quiet all of the sudden, playing with the TV clicker in his hand. He'd forgotten about punching Gibbs until that moment in time. His eyes seemed to be almost healed. Gibbs broke the silence for him.

"What's on your mind, DiNozzo?"

"I hit you in the squad room."

"You did."

"I gave you a black eye."

"Yep."

"Why aren't you yelling at me!" Tony shouted suddenly. "I know I deserve it! I should be fired for what I did!"

"You're not fired. And I'm not mad."

Tony gave him a quizzical look.

"Are you feeling all right, Boss?"

_Thwack!_

Tony rubbed the back of his head.

"Okay, you're fine. Why aren't you mad? I thought you'd want to punch me back."

"You weren't in your right mind, Tony. You just lost your Father, and you had all of that other crap to deal with that he left you. Call it blowing off some steam."

"Blowing off some steam is kicking my desk, or something like that. Punching you goes _way _beyond blowing off a little steam."

"I was pissed at first, for a long time, but when you called McGee for help, I had to stop being angry and stop that bastard from getting to you. That was more important than a black eye, Tony."

Tony nodded mutely. The TV remote suddenly became interesting again.

"What's the matter, Tony?"

"Nzmiro may be dead, Boss, but that doesn't erase everything else I've got to deal with when I get home. I've got to find a new car, and my credit rating is going to drop through the floor, thanks to Senior. I just don't know what I'm gonna do."

Gibbs got out of his chair and went to Tony's bedside.

"You're gonna get better, Tony. We'll play it by ear after you get out of the hospital."

"_We?" _

"Yes, Tony. Did you really think I'd let you deal with this on your own?"

"Do you ever?"

"Good answer. Get some rest."

Gibbs turned and left.

**Notes: We are nearing the end of Tony's tale, folks! I hope you've enjoyed! And yay! No Swahili! Those guys speak English and just didn't want to this whole time! Hee hee. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes: Well, folks, we have finally come to the last chapter of "Unreachable." Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, etc. I hope you have all enjoyed it! There will be more Tony stories to come!**

_~One week later~_

Tony was released from the hospital a week after the MCRT had taken down Nzmiro and his team. He insisted on crutches, rather than a wheelchair, insisting he would be all right. Gibbs was there to pick him up. He waited silently in the hall for Tony to dress, and helped him down to the car when he was ready to go.

The ride to Gibbs' house was silent. While he was usually very talkative, Tony didn't feel much like having a conversation with anyone at the moment, especially Gibbs. Neither of them minded the silence.

After what seemed like forever, they pulled into Gibbs' driveway. Tony had dozed off on the ride back. The doctor said he might be tired from the painkillers they'd been giving him at the hospital. Gibbs got out of the car and went around to the trunk. He took out Tony's overnight bag, and his crutches, and slammed the trunk shut. He saw Tony jerk awake through the back window. He went around to the passenger side and opened the door.

"We're here," he said simply. Tony reached out for his crutches. Gibbs helped him get vertical, and he immediately leaned on the crutches. He followed Gibbs into the house. "Have a seat," Gibbs said, walking past the living room into the hallway. He deposited Tony's bag in his spare bedroom, and went back to join Tony in the living room. Gibbs found him lying down on the couch, asleep. Quietly, he went over and pulled the blanket from the back of the couch, and draped it over Tony. He propped the fallen crutches on the coffee table, within Tony's reach.

Figuring Tony would be asleep for a while, he went to turn the coffee pot on, and headed out to the garage, where his latest project was waiting for him. Tony's car was up on blocks, and there were tools and parts strewn all around the two car garage. It'd been a long time since he'd tried to fix a car, but this car was worth fixing. He'd had a friend help him with the body work. The front end had taken forever for the two of them to straighten out. Gibbs had to practically deplete his emergency bank account to pay for the necessary parts. Now, there were just parts to replace. He went to his workbench and opened up his ratchet set, and set to work.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony yawned and sat up on the couch. He must have been out of it on the way home. He didn't even remember getting out of the car and coming into the house. He stretched and grabbed his crutches, so he could wander. He crutched into the kitchen, where he was assailed by the smell of fresh coffee. Smiling, he poured himself a cup and leaned against the counter while he took a sip. Only Gibbs would have coffee this strong. As he sipped it, he heard a clang coming from the direction of the garage door. Curious, he went over and opened the door. His jaw dropped when he stepped into the garage. There was his car, up on blocks. The body looked like new – almost. The panels Gibbs had managed to get were junkyard scraps. The car would need to be painted again. He looked down as Gibbs slid out from underneath the car.

"You're awake, and you've found the coffee," he said, pushing himself to his feet.

"My car—how did you—Ducky said it was totaled!"

Gibbs wiped his hands with a rag from his workbench, and turned to face Tony.

"You wouldn't have been out there if it weren't for me and McGee breaking into your credit card statements. I was in the wrong for asking him to do that. I know how much you love this car, so I called in a couple of favors with a mechanic friend of mine."

"I—thanks, Boss. Really. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"You're welcome, DiNozzo."

Tony contemplated hugging Gibbs, but decided it'd be too awkward.

"You hungry, Tony?" Gibbs asked suddenly.

"Famished, actually," Tony admitted.

"I need a break. What do you say we grill up a couple of steaks?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Gibbs clapped him on the back and helped him back into the house to prepare dinner.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony went back to work a week later, on desk duty. It was hard for him to sit there while his teammates were out following leads. Tim showed him a few technical things, so Tony could help out from his desk, rather than work on cold cases. As he let his latest credit card search run, his desk phone rang.

"DiNozzo."

_"Agent DiNozzo, I'd like to see you in my office, please." _

"On my way, Director." Tony hung up and picked up his crutches. He took the elevator up to the balcony level, and hobbled into Vance's office. Paula waved him in. The door was already open a crack, so Tony pushed it with his crutch to allow himself access. Vance was sitting behind his desk, hands folded on the desk.

"Have a seat."

Tony sat down, letting his casted leg lay straight in front of him.

"I'd like to discuss recent events with you, if you are up to it."

"All right."

"First and foremost, I am going to ignore the fact that you hit Special Agent Gibbs in the squad room over a month ago, and promptly went AWOL. I understand you were under duress, due to the death of your father, and the events that followed."

"Thank you, Director."

"How has your recovery been coming along?" Vance asked, in a slightly normal, conversational tone.

"I get the plaster cast off next week. They'll fit me with a walking cast for a couple of weeks, just to be sure everything is completely healed."

"I'm glad to hear it."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Vance then reached for an envelope that had been sitting next to the phone.

"I have something for you, Agent DiNozzo." He handed it across the desk. Tony reached out and took it. He slowly opened the envelope, and gaped at what he pulled out.

"There are two checks here…for $25,000."

"Shortly after your accident, Ms. Sciuto came to me, requesting that we try to help you out of the financial situation that your Father left you with. I agreed that if she could raise $25,000, I would put in the request to let NCIS pick up the rest."

"How the hell did she do it?" Tony asked, still in shock.

"I'm not sure. She never told me what she did. Ms. Sciuto can be very resourceful."

"I don't know what to say, Director. I never would have expected this. I—thank you, very much." Tony held out his hand, and Vance stood up and shook it warmly.

"You're more than welcome, Tony. You don't deserve what happened to you. No one deserves that. Your Father may have had good intentions mailing you that information, but he destroyed lives in the process."

Tony lowered his gaze to his hands, which he'd folded in his lap. He thought of his Uncle Jack and Aunt Lucy. They'd died because of his father's selfish business practices. Even after death, his father knew how to ruin others.

"Are you all right?" Vance asked.

"Yeah. I'll be all right." Tony pushed himself up. "I'd better get back downstairs and finish up those searches for Gibbs."

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Vance said, holding out a hand. Tony shook it, and turned and hobbled out of the office.

Instead of going to the squad room, Tony took the elevator to Abby's lab. He hobbled through the doors as they swooshed open. Abby turned around at the sound of her doors, and beamed at the sight of Tony.

"Hey Tony! How are you feeling!"

Tony didn't say anything. He hobbled to her, and when he was right in front of her, dropped his crutches. He pulled Abby into a tight hug. Abby wrapped her arms around his waist and returned the hug. When he finally let her go, he looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you."

"What are friends for, Tony?" she said, wiping a tear from his cheek. He enveloped her in another hug, tears streaming down his face and dripping onto her lab coat. No other words were spoken.

**Note: I'll be adding an epilogue, but this is officially the end. Hope you've enjoyed the ride!**


	11. Epilogue

_~Three weeks later~_

"Boss, why are we at your place?" Tony asked quizzically as Gibbs pulled into the driveway.

"I've got something to show you, DiNozzo." Gibbs got out of the car and headed into the house. Tony followed, perplexed. Gibbs led him into the kitchen. He opened up a junk drawer and took out a set of keys. He tossed them to Tony.

"Wait a second—does this mean—"

"She's good as new."

Tony turned and threw open the garage door. There sat his mustang, in pristine condition. Gibbs had his friend paint it black. It looked brand new. Tony stepped into the garage to get a better view of the car.

"You gonna get in and start her up, Tony?" Gibbs asked from behind him as he pressed the button to open his garage door.

"Yeah! Definitely! Tony went around to the driver's side and opened the door. He slid into a brand new driver's seat (his had been destroyed in the accident). He slid the keys into the ignition, and the car hummed to life. It was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He was enjoying himself so much that he didn't notice Gibbs get into the passenger side.

"Let's go for a drive."

Tony put the car in gear and backed out of the garage. He cruised down Gibbs' street, fighting the temptation to put his foot to the floor. He hadn't driven in over two months, and he was itching to get behind the wheel again. He drove around the block a few times, and returned to Gibbs' house. He turned the car off and sat back on the seat, closing his eyes.

"You all right?" Gibbs asked as they got out of the car and walked into the garage.

"Yeah. I'm fine. This—this all just doesn't seem real. Having my car back-Abby fundraising for me—it's more than I would have ever asked of anyone."

"It was no trouble, DiNozzo."

Tony pushed all of his awkward feelings aside, and enveloped his Boss in a hug. Gibbs felt a little awkward, but let Tony hug him. Tony finally let him go.

"Thank you, Boss. Thank you so much."

**FINIS!**


End file.
